Mneme CE Character Creation
Mneme CE Character Creation
Complete character creation system for the Mneme Cepheus Engine tabletop RPG. This index provides navigation to all character creation resources, from core rules to variant combat mechanics.
Core Character Creation Chapters
The foundation of character generation covering the 12-step creation process:
- Characteristics (Step 1) — Roll 2D6 for Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social Standing
- Homeworld & Background Skills (Step 2) — Determine homeworld trade codes and gain 3 + EDU modifier skills at Level 0
- Career Selection (Step 3) — Choose from 24 distinct careers; qualify with variable difficulty rolls
- Basic Training (Step 4) — Gain service skills at Level 0 for first term; one skill for subsequent careers
- Survival Rolls (Step 5) — Roll to survive each term; failure means mishaps or death
- Commission & Advancement (Steps 6-7) — Progress through ranks, gain extra skills and benefits
- Aging (Step 8) — Physical decline begins at age 34; anagathics can delay aging
- Re-enlistment (Step 9) — Continue career or muster out; forced re-enlistment on natural 12
- Benefits & Mustering Out (Step 10) — Cash, weapons, armor, and other career benefits
- Equipment Purchase (Step 11) — Buy starting gear and possibly a starship
- 24 Complete Careers — Aerospace Forces, Agent, Athlete, Barbarian, Belter, Bureaucrat, Colonist, Diplomat, Drifter, Entertainer, Hunter, Marine, Maritime Forces, Merchant, Mercenary, Navy, Noble, Physician, Pirate, Rogue, Scientist, Scout, Surface Defense, Technician
Comprehensive skill system covering all abilities available to characters:
- Task Resolution — Core mechanic: 2D6 + Skill + Characteristic DM + Difficulty vs. Target Number
- Skill Checks — Formal and informal task descriptions, time frames, difficulty modifiers
- Skill Tables by Career — Personal Development, Service Skills, Specialist Skills, Advanced Education for all 24 careers
- Skill Descriptions — Full details on all skills: Admin, Advocate, Animals, Athletics, Broker, Carousing, Comms, Computer, Deception, Diplomat, Drive, Engineering, Electronics, Gun Combat, Heavy Weapons, Investigate, Jack of All Trades, Language, Leadership, Life Sciences, Mechanics, Medicine, Melee Combat, Navigation, Persuade, Pilot, Physical Sciences, Recon, Remote Operations, Sensors, Social Sciences, Space Sciences, Stealth, Steward, Streetwise, Survival, Tactics, Trade, Vacc Suit, Zero-G
- Skill Cascades & Specialties — Breaking down broad skills into specific applications (e.g., Gun Combat into Energy Rifle, Slug Pistol, etc.)
- Zero-Level Skills (Skill-0) — Basic competency without bonus; untrained attempts suffer -3 DM
Optional mental powers and paranormal abilities (requires Referee permission):
- Psionic Strength (Psi) — Characteristic powering all psionic talents; determined by 2D6 minus terms served
- Psionic Training — 4-month training period costing Cr100,000; learning talents with Psionic Strength checks
- Five Psionic Talents:
- Awareness — Control over own body: Suspended Animation, Enhanced Awareness, Psionic Shield
- Clairvoyance — Sense distant events: Sense, Clairvoyance, Telempathy, Awareness Sense
- Telekinesis — Move objects with mind: Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Remote Manipulation
- Telepathy — Mental communication: Read Surface Thoughts, Send Thoughts, Probe, Assault
- Teleportation — Instant travel: Teleport Self, Teleport Other, Teleport Object
- Psionic Combat — Mental combat resolution using Psionic Strength
- Power Points — Psionic Strength decreases with use; recovers 1 point per hour after 3-hour rest
Complete equipment catalog organized by technology level:
- Technology Levels (TL 0-15) — From primitive stone tools to advanced grav vehicles and energy weapons
- Armor — Ballistic cloth, flak jackets, combat armor, vacc suits, reflective suits, combat environment suits
- Weapons
- Melee: Blades, clubs, polearms, natural weapons
- Slug Weapons: Pistols, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, designators
- Energy Weapons: Laser pistols/rifles, stunners
- Heavy Weapons: Rocket launchers, plasma guns, fusion guns
- Explosives: Grenades, detonators, plastic explosive
- Vehicles
- Ground: Wheeled, tracked, walkers
- Water: Small watercraft, large watercraft, submarines
- Air: Rotorcraft, fixed-wing, airships
- Space: Spacecraft, small craft
- General Equipment — Computers, communicators, sensors, medical supplies, survival gear, tools
- Services & Animals — Passage costs, animals for riding and labor
Quick Fix Rules Changes
Streamlined mechanics that replace standard Cepheus Engine rules with unified task resolution. See the detailed Quick Fix page for complete rules.
Summary of Changes:
| Mechanic | Change |
|---|---|
| Task Resolution | Variable Difficulty instead of static 8 |
| Advancement | Survival Effect 4+ = automatic rank progression (no separate Commission/Advancement rolls) |
| Re-enlistment | Automatic success; no forced re-enlistment on natural 12 |
| Anagathics | Spend 100,000Cr per use; skip aging; limit = SOC−7 uses |
| Aging | 2D6 + END DM vs. (Terms + 1) Difficulty (Core Task Resolution) |
| Drifter Career | Auto-qualify; failing Survival = lose job (not ejected) |
| Benefits | Track per career; roll all at mustering out |
| Draft Options | Barbarian, Belter, Colonist, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue (forced careers, not military conscription) |
| Retirement | Drifter/Belter/Barbarian have no retirement safety net |
| All Careers Advance | Even Athlete, Entertainer, Hunter, Scout now have ranks and advancement |
Career-Specific Quick Fixes:
- Scout: Survival END 6+ (was 7+)
- Hunter: Survival INT 6+ (was STR 8+)
- Noble: Qualification SOC 12+, Survival SOC 6+ (was SOC 4+), SOC reflects rank
Complete Quick Fix Rules:
- Detailed Quick Fix Reference — Full breakdown of all rule changes with tables
- [file:221015_MNEME_24_CAREER_CARDS.pdf Mneme 24 Career Cards PDF] — Printable quick reference cards
Combat Character Options
Character Creation Options from Mneme Combat
Variant rules for characters designed for streamlined combat:
- One Roll Per Turn System — Single player roll determines both PC success and adversary response
- Variable Difficulty Table:
- Easy (4), Routine (6), Average (8), Difficult (10), Very Difficult (12), Formidable (14)
- Character Points (CP) System — Alternative quick generation method:
- 50 CP starting pool for characteristics, skills, equipment
- HP = STR + DEX + END
- Wounded/Seriously Wounded/Critically Wounded/Dying thresholds
- Quick skill assignment: Unskilled (-3), Skill-0 (0 DM), Skill-1 (+1), Skill-2 (+2), Skill-3+ (+3)
- Character Templates
- Warrior: Combat-focused (STR 9, DEX 7, END 8, HP 24)
- Specialist: Technical operative (STR 7, DEX 9, END 6, HP 22)
- Leader: Higher INT/SOC with Tactics
- Minion: Lower stats for cannon fodder
Complete NPC generation system with:
- Character Point allocation for rapid stat generation
- Equipment budgets by TL (100-10,000 Cr ranges)
- Sample NPCs with full stat blocks (Yeoman, Under-Enforcer)
- NPC Stat Block Format for quick reference
- Initiative calculation and combat stats
- Encounter framework examples
Character roles in starship combat:
- Pilot — Maneuvering, evasion, positioning
- Navigator/Astrogator — Jump calculations, sensor interpretation
- Engineer — Power management, damage control
- Gunner — Weapon targeting, fire control
- Commander/Captain — Tactics, command decisions, leadership bonuses
- Sensor Operator — Electronic warfare, detection
- Medic — Casualty treatment during combat
Getting Started
For New Players
- Begin with Chapter 1 for complete 12-step walkthrough
- Review Quick Fix Rules above for streamlined Mneme variant
- Reference Chapter 2 for skill details and career tables
- Use Chapter 4 for starting equipment selection
For Referees (GMs)
- Use Quick Characters for rapid NPC/adversary generation
- Apply Quick Fix Rules to simplify standard CE for your group
- Reference Chapter 3 if allowing psionic characters
- All chapters provide complete player options for campaign planning
Related Resources
- Character Creation — Comprehensive master index with all chapters, Quick Fixes, and combat rules
- Mneme Cepheus Engine Rules — Core rules overview
- Mneme CE Combat Rules — Complete streamlined combat system
- CE Exploration of the World — Travel, trade, exploration chapters
- Mneme World Generator — Create homeworlds for your characters
- Mneme CE Chapter 8 Ship Design — Starship construction
- SOC Scale Economic Implications — Understanding Social Standing and economics